What’s up on the farm?

Well here we are at the tail
end of 2013 and the final CSA delivery of the season. Again we want to thank Mother
Nature for providing us with a little window of warmer weather in which to
harvest and deliver your produce. While it wasn't quite balmy, given some of
the temperatures we've been experiencing recently, we are feeling pretty
fortunate. Some of our crops aren't feeling nearly so fortunate, even the
hearty kale has really suffered under the recent extreme cold. You will notice
that the bundles of kale in today's delivery are quite a bit smaller and a
little softer than in the past. We were shocked at how much damage the kale
sustained in the high tunnels, under row cover. We picked every leaf that
wasn't completely destroyed in order to send some out in every box, but we
aren't particularly proud of the quantity or quality. We hope that the big,
delicious, crazy carrots will distract you from the lack of green bounty.

As 2013 comes to a close we
are already deep in planning for the new year. The seed catalogs have all
arrived and the garden planning sessions are popping up amidst woodcutting
chores. There are still a number of chores left to do this year, (all of the
row cover is still in the fields from the fall crops) but we are trying to
balance the old and the new amid breaks in the weather.

We hope that you
have enjoyed your CSA experience this season. If you would like to
join us again in 2014, we will start sending out emails to veteran members
(you) in January. But you don't
have to wait for next spring to get your fresh produce and eggs. Starting early
next month, we plan to resume our custom egg and produce sales on an "as
available" basis. We will send out an email listing available products and
if you are interested, just respond to the email, requesting the items you
would like. Currently we plan to continue to use Ritual Café and Peace Tree
Brewing Company for these deliveries, so keep an eye on your email in early
January.

Thank you for
being a part of the BGF family. We wish you and yours a wonderful holiday
season and a new year filled with peace and joy.

We'll be there (with all our
non-perishable products) along with a bunch of other cool craftspeople and
artists.

A little detail on your produce this week:

Leafy Greens-
these all keep best loosely wrapped in plastic and stored in the crisper
drawer.

Napa Cabbage-Store dry, unwashed cabbage in the refrigerator, preferably in the vegetable
bin. The outer leaves may eventually get floppy or yellowish, but you can
remove and discard them to reveal fresh inner leaves. Cabbage can keep for more
than a month. Once it’s cut, seal it in a plastic bag and continue to
refrigerate for several weeks. Napa cabbage
can be used in nearly any recipe calling for cabbage.

Potatoes-Keep unwashed potatoes in a cool, dark place, such as
a loosely closed paper bag in a cupboard or cool basement, and use them within a
month. Do not store in the refrigerator; Scrub potatoes gently before cooking.
Peeling is a matter of preference.

Is a weekly
newsletter not enough for you and you want to read more about our daily
adventures or see pictures of the farm?Follow
us at our blog at http://beyondthebluegate.blogspot.com/
and on Facebook (just search Blue Gate Farm) and “Like” us.

That’s about it
this week, if you have any questions or comments be sure to let us know.

This ragout is meant to
be a throw-together-fast-on-a-weeknight kind of meal. If you have sweet
potatoes instead of turnips, use them. If you have Swiss chard in the fridge
but no kale, sub it instead. You may be surprised by how much flavor you can
coax, with the help of a well-stocked pantry, out of the ingredients you have
on hand.

Heat oil in a large saute pan
over medium-high heat. Saute onion and turnip for 8 minutes, or until bronzed.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add sausage and garlic to pan. Cook for 2
more minutes, then add kale and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover,
reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally,
until kale is tender.

Recipe Source: www.nourishnetwork.com

Browned
Cabbage with Pork

One
small head cabbage, coarsely chopped

1
c. chopped onion

4
T. cooking oil of your choice, divided

1
lb. ground pork

¼
c. soy sauce

¼
c. water

1
T. cornstarch

Heat 2 T. oil in a large skillet. Brown onion and cabbage in oil with
skillet partially covered over medium high heat, reducing to medium heat as
moisture cooks off. Remove to large bowl and reserve. Add remaining
2 T. oil to skillet, add ground pork, and brown meat. Remove any oil that
remains once meat is browned. Combine soy sauce and water and cornstarch
in a small bowl. Add to skillet with meat, and stir quickly as it
thickens. Return cabbage and onions to skillet and stir well. Serves 4.